2008 Montepulciano d'Oro

June 26, 2014 - Norman Bentley

We had a small dinner party the other night featuring Italian fare and three good bottles of excellent Italian reds. Two were in the fifty dollar plus range while one was closer to twenty The surprise was that at around twenty, the 2008 Vecchia Cantina di Montepulciano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Leone d' Oro stood up quite well to the other two choices, which were twice as expensive. It was wonderful, but I might have a small complaint about the length of its name. The predominate grape is Sangiovese, and I have found that most wines made from this grape, with the name Montepulciano in their title are quite good.

This Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is from the vineyards surrounding the village of Montepluciano in the famous Tuscany region of Italy. The wine is dark purple in color, and the flavors abound, with a display of black cherries against a backdrop of herbs and assorted dark fruits. The finish is firm with the presence of acidity coupled to sturdy tannins, and a lingering after-taste which is excellent with any spicy dish.

This is the perfect companion for chicken cacciatore, sausages and peppers, or some very spicy spaghetti. This selection is further proof that price is not always the dominate factor in selecting a great bottle of wine for that special occasion! Norm's score is 92.